Suppose that a Live-Action production of The Lord of the Rings (or The Hobbit) had been done in 1974 - 1979.

Who do you suppose would have been cast in the various roles?

Would they have made the Elves and Aragorn look like the guy on the packaging for Brawny Towels (Hairy-chested, with side-burns)?

Think Sean Connery in Zardoz.

Could Connery have been a decent choice for Aragorn, Boromir, or Denethor?

I am guessing they would have gone with someone like Roddy McDowell for Elrond or Legolas (because they still thought Elf = Short at that time).

How big would the hair on the women be?

Stevie Nicks or Linda Ronstadt as Arwen? Or maybe Valerie Bertenelli, as a "New face?"

Probably one of Charlie's Angels as Éowyn (Farrah Fawcett, Cheryl Ladd, Jaclyn Smith, or Kate Jackson - I think there were two more in the final seasons. I never was too into TV in the 1970s, So I only remember them from having learned about them in the 1980s).

Hey! And we STILL could have had Ian McKellen and Christopher Lee as Gandalf and Saruman!

John Boorman, who directed both "Zardoz" and "Excalibur" was actually in the planning stage of directing an adaptation of LotR.

Interesting stuff about that on the "Excalibur" IMDB trivia page here:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082348/...ef_=tt_trv_trv
* John Boorman was originally aiming at making a movie based on "The Lord of the Rings". However, he did not acquire the rights, and decided to make this movie instead.
* The trial by combat set in the woods was originally to be the set for the Rivendel counsel chamber in John Boorman's version of "Lord of the Rings", which failed to get made.
* Boorman originally wanted to direct The Lord of the Rings, but Ralph Bakshi secured the rights first and beat him to the punch. He settled with this as his Plan B, another medieval sword and sorcery epic swashbuckler.

and on Boorman's IMDB page here:
* http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000958/b..._trv_sm#trivia[on his failed attempt at bringing writer J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" to the screen] Everything I learned, the technical problems I had to resolve in planning for "The Lord Of The Rings", I applied to Excalibur (1981). That was my recompense.

__________________Even as fog continues to lie in the valleys, so does ancient sin cling to the low places, the depression in the world consciousness.

John Boorman, who directed both "Zardoz" and "Excalibur" was actually in the planning stage of directing an adaptation of LotR.

Interesting stuff about that on the "Excalibur" IMDB trivia page here:http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0082348/...ef_=tt_trv_trv
* John Boorman was originally aiming at making a movie based on "The Lord of the Rings". However, he did not acquire the rights, and decided to make this movie instead.
* The trial by combat set in the woods was originally to be the set for the Rivendel counsel chamber in John Boorman's version of "Lord of the Rings", which failed to get made.
* Boorman originally wanted to direct The Lord of the Rings, but Ralph Bakshi secured the rights first and beat him to the punch. He settled with this as his Plan B, another medieval sword and sorcery epic swashbuckler.

and on Boorman's IMDB page here:
* http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000958/b..._trv_sm#trivia[on his failed attempt at bringing writer J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" to the screen] Everything I learned, the technical problems I had to resolve in planning for "The Lord Of The Rings", I applied to Excalibur (1981). That was my recompense.

I knew this about Boorman.

It is one of the reasons I got to thinking about "who would be cast."

Although technically Excalibur was an 80s film (Production in 79/80, released 1981).

And the five years difference would not greatly affect most of the actors here, especially since the trend of casting younger actors would not really take-off until the late-80s.

Prior to that, Younger Actors tended to be an exception, rather than the rule.

I still have a few friends in the Film Industry, and one of them helps with a History of Film class, and the age of actors was something that is pretty interesting to watch as the industry matures.